June 23, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — The leader of the ten former political Detainees and the former Secretary General of SPLM, Pagan Amum Okiech, has been reinstated as the party Secretary General of the SPLM faction under President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Upon his return on Monday [yesterday] Pagan met president Salva Kiir and members of National Liberation Council (NLC).
During an emergency meeting called and shared by President Salva Kiir, the chairman briefed and directed the members of the NLC to reconsider their decisions to reinstate Cde Pagan Amum as the Secretary General of the party.
According to the Spokesman of the SPLM [Juba] party, Akol Paul, the NLC has revoked its 2013 decisions, which dismissed Pagan Amum from the party, one day before the current conflict broke out in Juba, South Sudan.
“The Chairman of the SPLM briefed the National Libertaion Council about the peace process in the country and the chairman of the SPLM asked the National Liberation Council in the interest if peace, unity, reconciliation and the reunification of the party to reconsider and revoke the decisions of the dismissal of the SPLM Secretary Comrade General Pagan Amum, with this I would like to inform you that the NLC has revoked the decisions and what are left now are technical procedures for Pagan Amum to full assume his office” Akol said.
The reinstatement of Pagan into his former position has ended the “neutrality” of the former detainees and their separate bloc in the peace process.
According to Akol, the reinstatement of Mr. Pagan as the secretary generals ends the acronyms, the G10, FDs and SPLM-Uhuru, which have been attached to the 10 detainees that lived in exile in Nairobi, Kenya.
“Today we are united, no more SPM former detainees, no more talks about the G10 and no more talks about the FDS. This is one people liberation movement under comrade Salva Kiir Mayardit” Akol said.
Pagan was dismissed by president Salva Kiir from his position as the secretary general of the party in July, 2013, and restricted from speaking to the media or leaving the country while appending investigation for corruption and mismanagement of the SPLM party.
As the secretary general of the party, Pagan called on the chairman, Salva Kiir, 12 times to convince the National Liberation Council (NLC) for the party to elect the chairman and renew it term.
In September [2013] Salva Kiir controversially dissolved the party except his office; a call that was bitterly refuted by the senior SPLM members including Pagan.
He was thereafter controversially removed from the Party on December 14, one day before the current conflict broke out in Juba, South Sudan.
Following the signing of Arusha SPLM Party Reunification agreement earlier this year, regional governments including South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya have worked closely with the FDs and SPLM-Juba to return the exiled politicians to Juba to work with Salva Kiir.
With exception of the former Deputy Minister of Defense and Veteran affairs, Dr. Majak D’ Agoot, and the former Chief of the army, Gen. Oyai Deng Ajak, the former detainees have returned to the country.
Updated at 9:50Am, 23 June, 2015 (PST)
